The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem stated on Sunday, August 31st, that the Trump administration is deploying immigration enforcement resources to Chicago as part of a federal operation in the country’s third-largest city.
On August 27th, the DHS requested Naval Station Great Lakes to provide “limited support, including facilities, infrastructure, and other logistical needs, to support DHS operations.” The base is located about 35 miles north of Chicago. A spokesperson for Naval Station Great Lakes stated on August 27th that the base has not yet decided whether to agree to this request.
Noem on Sunday, August 31st, stated on the CBS program “Face the Nation” that her department plans to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) resources to Chicago.
“We have been conducting ICE operations in Chicago, throughout Illinois, and other states to ensure that we uphold the law. But we do intend to increase resources for these operations,” said Noem.
Regarding the plan to deploy federal agents to Illinois, the DHS Secretary refused to disclose further details.
Several weeks ago, the Trump administration first deployed the National Guard to Washington to combat crime and address issues related to illegal immigration and homelessness. President Trump has also previously deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles for immigration enforcement.
When asked if Trump’s plans for Chicago would mirror those in Los Angeles, particularly deploying the National Guard to support ICE agents in enforcement, Noem stated, “That is always a privilege of President Trump and his decision. I will not discuss operational details in plans for other cities.”
Noem was also asked if DHS plans to carry out similar operations in other cities outside of Chicago, including Boston. She replied, “I think there are many cities right now dealing with crime and violence issues, so we are not ruling out any possibilities.”
On August 30th, Trump criticized Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker on Truth Social, warning that he may soon send troops to Chicago to combat crime.
Trump wrote, “JB Pritzker… just said he doesn’t need help to stop crime. He had better quickly fix it, or we’re coming!”
Trump also criticized Chicago Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson.
During a CBS interview on August 31st, Pritzker stated that if the Trump administration deploys troops to Chicago with ICE agents, “they will immediately be sued because it is illegal.”
He said, “The Posse Comitatus Act does not allow the U.S. military to enter U.S. cities to carry out tasks such as combating crime or participating in law enforcement – that is not their job.”
He was referring to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which limits the federal government from using military personnel for civilian law enforcement within the United States.
Pritzker added, “The National Guard or any type of troop should not be on the streets of American cities unless there is a riot, unless there truly is an emergency. But there isn’t one here.”
He claimed that no one from the Trump administration (including the President or any officials) has contacted him, or the “Chicago City Hall and others” to coordinate immigration enforcement.
Pritzker said, “They should be coordinating with local law enforcement. They should tell us when they are coming, where they are going, prepare to send out ICE, ATF or other units.”
“But they don’t want to do that. When they don’t tell us their plans, we can’t coordinate with them, which often exacerbates the emotions of the local population.”
When asked if consideration is being given to deploying ICE agents or the National Guard to Republican-led, high-crime cities, Noem responded, “Absolutely. We will assess every city to see what we need to do to make it safer.”
She added, “So we have taken some actions, but I will not discuss the details. We are not looking at things from a political perspective when we do anything.”